Tennessee fans are holding their breath as reports swirl around star quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the possibility that he could enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Iamaleava is currently in active contract negotiations with Tennessee regarding his NIL deal—and if things don’t go the way his camp hopes, he could walk. The portal opens on April 16, and while nothing is official yet, the threat feels very real.
Now, let’s be clear: this is still speculation. No decision has been made, and plenty of people around the program believe this is more of a leverage play than a genuine plan to leave. But in today’s college football landscape, we all know how fast things can change—especially when a top-tier quarterback is involved.
Here's a look at three college football teams that could be ready to pounce if Iamaleava hits the portal.
Keep in mind that SEC teams would not have the opportunity to recruit Iamaleava in the spring portal window due to the conference's rule that players cannot transfer between SEC schools in this period.
1. USC Trojans
There was some speculation that USC would look at a quarterback in the winter Transfer Portal window and while they did bring in Sam Huard from Utah, it's still expected right now that Jayden Maiava will be the starter for the 2025 season.
Though he ended up winning the job last season, it's not like Maiava moved the needle greatly in terms of his production, completing just 59.8% of his passes with 11 touchdowns to 6 interceptions.
Lincoln Riley needs to have a turnaround season to appease the masses in Los Angeles, and what better way to do it than to nab Nico Iamaleava to lead the offense for a year? If USC added Nico, it's no guarantee that they'd make the College Football Playoff, but they'd certainly be more competitive and have their chance at making some noise late in the season.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina has Max Johnson, Ryan Browne (Purdue transfer), and true-freshman Bryce Baker on its roster. While the coaches have been positive about the direction of the room, there are certainly questions to be had.
Nico Iamaleava would be an upgrade over any of the three guys listed above and would give Bill Belichick a chance to lead the Tar Heels on a much more successful 2025 campaign. Would it end with a College Football Playoff appearance? Maybe, maybe not.
The Tar Heels would definitely be in the mix — especially with their favorable ACC schedule — to make it to Charlotte, and if you can get to the conference title game, you've got a chance at the playoff.
3. Colorado Buffaloes
Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is set to replace Shedeur Sanders this season and he's got 4-star freshman Julian Lewis behind him. But, let's be real, Salter has been a mixed bag and that was even at the lower-level of college football.
Despite losing Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, and a plethora of other options, Colorado still has some talent and could be competitive in the Big 12 with the right quarterback. Nico Iamaleava would give them that option and would provide a bridge for Julian Lewis to take over the following season.
Would Coach Prime give him a call? That remains to be seen.